Craveri's Murrelet

The Craveri’s Murrelet is a small black and white auk with a small head and thin sharp bill. It resembles the closely related Xantus's Murrelet, with which it shares the distinction of being the most southerly living of all the auk species. The Craveri’s Murrelet has a partial neck collar , and dusky underwings . Craver’s black face mask dips a bit further down the face compared to the Xantus’s. Both species can be also separated by voice.

The Craveri's Murrelet is classified as Vulnerable (VU), considered to be facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.

A real Craveri's Murrelet (in flight) is shown at right. We can see the dark underwings on this bird - making identification easy - but note the (a) longer and therefore thinner-appearing bill, (b) a bit more hint of a shoulder extension (some are more prominent), and notice (c) how the black of the face curves down at the base of the bill and includes the chin. Notice also the broader blackish sides & flanks. And finally notice the whitish patch in the underwings. More

Craveri's Murrelet feeds far out at sea on larval fish such as herring, rockfish, and lanternfish. Like all auks it is a wing-propelled diver, chasing down prey under the water with powerful wingbeats. It flies well, and can take off without taxiing. The Craveri's Murrelet nests in small crevices, caves and under dense bushes on arid islands in loose scattered colonies. It returns to the colony only at night, laying two eggs which are incubated for about a month. More

Craveri's Murrelet: Two white, yellow, olive or brown eggs are laid in a rock crevice or next to a boulder. Incubation ranges from 27 to 44 days and is carried out by both parents. Foraging and Feeding Craveri's Murrelet: Feeds on young fish, including rockfish, herring, and lanternfish; forages by diving from the surface. Vocalization Craveri's Murrelet: Makes a trilling whistle in breeding season, insectlike chattering and a harsh trill when agitated. More

Craveri's Murrelet is in decline as a result of a number of human activities. Conservation Issues & Efforts: In 1995, a Biosphere Reserve was designated under UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme that covers 124 islands in the Gulf of California. More

Craveri's Murrelet: Small, plump seabird with black upperparts that extend as a bar onto side of upper breast, distinct white crescents above and below eyes, white underparts, and dark gray underwing linings. Sexes are similar. Reminiscent of a small, flying penguin. Range and Habitat Craveri's Murrelet: A threatened species; breeds on islands in the Gulf of California and off Baja California north to San Benito Islands. After breeding, wanders to the southern California coast, occasionally farther north. More

● Similar species: Xantus's Murrelet: Craveri's Murrelet has dark wing linings, black extending onto sides of breast, black chin, and longer, thinner bill. Flight Pattern Swift direct flight with rapid wing beats. Xantus's Murrelet Body Illustration● Range & Habitat: Xantus's Murrelet: An ocean-dwelling species, breeds on offshore islands of Baja California and southern California; occasionally wanders north to Vancouver Island. More

Craveri's Murrelet (Synthliboramphus craveri) is a small seabird which breeds on offshore islands in both the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of California off the Baja peninsula of Mexico. It also wanders fairly regularly as far as central California in the USA, primarily during post-breeding dispersal. It is threatened by predators introduced to its breeding colonies by oil spills, and tanker traffic. Increasing tourism development and commercial fishing fleets also further threaten the species. More

Craveri's Murrelet: A presentation of bird photographs, songs, identification tips, distribution maps, and life history information for North American birds, and a forum for ... http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/htmid/h0260id.html Craveri's murrelet Identification tips: Craveri's murrelet Synthliboramphus craveri. Identification Tips: Sexes similar; Small to medium size alcid that dives for food from ... http://www.enature.com/fieldguide/showSpeciesSH.asp?curGroupID=1&shapeID=959&curPageNum=24&recnum=BD0688 Craveri's Murrelet, eNature.com: Craveri's Murrelet(Synthliboramphus craveri), Auks, Murres, Puffins eNature.com is a free searchable nature and wildlife database. ... More

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